Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Dick Reynolds: Music & Friends

I’ve not heard a real “dance
band” for quite some time. This organization, headed by pianist Dick
Reynolds, falls very nicely into that category.

In the 1960s, Reynolds was
the house pianist at Mr. Kelly’s Jazz Club, in Chicago; in that capacity, he
worked with the likes of Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McCrea and many
others. Reynolds subsequently started his own commercial endeavor (Com
Track) in Chicago, where he wrote, filmed and recorded advertising jingles for
International companies such as United Airlines and McDonalds. He’d knock out
ads by day, then play music at night.

His other longtime love is
fishing: a pastime that relaxed and soothed the mind, and brought him
recognition as “The Fishin’ Musician.” That said, this album illustrates that
music remains front and center.

The roughly two dozen
“Friends” who participated here are, to quote Reynolds, “mostly guys I worked
with.” The format is big band, although not everyone plays on all 13 tracks. The
rhythm section consists of piano, bass, drums and guitar; the basic brass
section draws from half a dozen trumpets/flugelhorns and five trombonists; the
reeds number another half-dozen; and a harmonica and additional percussionists
are thrown in for good measure.

The liner notes don’t detail
the cadre members for each tune, but I’m guessing that the basic unit averages
a dozen to 15 artists.

Whatever the size, the
performance is smooth, mellow and — most important — danceable. Interestingly,
no standards are performed; each track is an original, and several are tributes
to other musicians. The album presentation evokes echoes old LPs, in that
most of the tracks run three to six minutes. It definitely takes us back to the
big band years.

This is a neat
release, and certain to be enjoyed by listeners who lived through that period.